Them
by 6Fortius9
Summary: For as long as Makoto could remember, it had always just been the three of them: Makoto, Haruka, and Tetsuya. And honestly, he could not imagine wanting it any other way.
1. Chapter 1

**Them**

It was hard to say when it begun.

For all Makoto has always known, it had always been the three of them: Makoto, Haruka, and Tetsuya, side by side in the same arrangement their houses were.

When Makoto first stepped into nursery school, it had been with Haruka on one side and Tetsuya at the other. His first time learning cycling and swimming…It had been in the comforting presence of his friends. In the closet of his room, Makoto had never failed to find some clothes of his friends from their sleepovers. Even when Makoto joined Iwatobi Swimming Club, it had been with a handful of Haru's shirt and Tetsuya's fingers in his grasp, and a quivering shaking introduction made behind the calm demeanours of his best friends.

For the life of him, Makoto could not remember a time when he lived without the both of them. And honestly, he could not imagine himself wanting it any other way.

 **Blues**

Haruka could never understand why the others would so easily lose track of Tetsuya.

For all the silence that the younger boy offered and all the expressionless façade that he presented, he was still a normal, breathing human being. And for all that slippery presence made him jealous, Haruka found himself too many a times irked by the adults for forgetting that child.

Too many times, Haruka had seen that smaller boy get locked out of his house due to his parents' negligence. Too many times, Haruka had had to throw a rock at his neighbours' door in order to draw attention to the short boy (still a stranger then) who was tiptoeing outside, reaching for a doorbell that was impossible to reach. For all the heartlessness Haruka presented, he still cared, however troublesome it is, and too many times, he tried to help by leaving his backdoor open for that boy. (In time, he got used to his parents' nagging and his parents got used to his habit as well.)

Eventually, the boy stuck around, and even then, Haruka found himself unnerved by how Makoto had to keep Tetsuya at the edge of his vision for a year before he got used to their new friend's lack of presence.

Haruka thought he would never understand everyone's perception of Tetsuya's presence.

It was not until Haruka met his first love that he understood.

He was able to see Tetsuya because he was blue – with hair a shade of blue brighter than the colour of the waterfall he had seen back then, and eyes that reminded Haruka of the deeper blue waters of the seashores at the beach. Even back before he discovered his love for water, somehow in one way or another, some innate instinct within him was able to point out all the characteristics of water that Tetsuya had and indicate his presence to him.

Perhaps it was fate that brought Tetsuya to the one person who could keep track of him due to his colouring.

 **Proof**

At times, when locked out in another night by his parents and hunching over at the door, Tetsuya would wonder if he exists at all.

Five was a young age for the contemplation of an existential crisis, but given the circumstances, who could blame him? In the head of young Tetsuya, his loving, slightly clumsy parents could hardly be faulted for forgetting him. Afterall, it was all him. Not only were his parents the only ones, his friends in the park had always needed reminding, and even his babysitters forget who they were hired to look after. Sometimes, Tetsuya wonders if his existence was on the verge of disappearing. That would certainly explain why people overlook him so often.

A rock had hit the door then, making a loud thumping sound that startled poor Tetsuya.

Jumping up in shock, Tetsuya blinked when he met the blue eyes of a small hooded figure – but that cannot be right, can it? How could someone keep track of him and even look at him in the eyes? He had not much time to think before the door swung open to reveal the irritated faces of his parents, which transformed into guilt and shock upon noticing him. Tetsuya accepted their apologetic embrace, leaving behind all thoughts of that boy.

Until the next time it happened again. And again. And again.

At the age of seven, Tetsuya would calmly walk through the backdoors of the Nanase household and be greeted by Makoto and Haruka in the form of a kind 'good morning' and a nod. While Haruka's parents would startle at his presence, Tetsuya would join his best friends apathetically, eating from a plate which had been set aside specifically for him.

Because while his parents may have forgotten him, there was always a place for him right by Haruka and Makoto's sides, and their silent acknowledgement was more than enough a proof of Tetsuya's existence.

 **Courage**

In an instance, every single thing was gone.

Standing to the side as the emotionless, grieving townspeople crossed by in a long, never-ending line of white, Makoto gazed out at the sea hesitantly.

The image of that night – where the usual calm ocean raged and swallowed everything that is near it, as torrents of waves crumpled the smooth surface of the sea – even now, it was still stuck in his head. How…frightened had that old fisherman felt as he was washed away? How helpless must he have been, knowing that the seas were far too rough for any hope of being rescued… And just like the goldfishes which he buried under the earth, the old man was dead now. Killed by the ocean, that is.

A trembling hand reached up and tugged at his shirt.

Makoto startled, blinking in surprise when he turned to see Tetsuya standing beside him. The usually emotionless Tetsuya narrowed his eyes sadly as he gazed out into the ocean line, the only hint of his feelings besides that sorrowful look being the shaky grasp that was clinging onto his shirt. Powdery blue orbs lifted to gaze up at him. Like Haru's, they gave away the multitude of emotions that neither of them ever quite put into words.

"…Don't be scared, Makoto-kun. I'll protect you." A shaky smile accompanied his words.

And that was when Makoto realized that his hands had been shaking all this while, reaching towards Haru's for the stability and support that his friend always gave.

Gazing into powdery blue eyes, Makoto felt the urge to laugh and cry. What was Tetsuya saying? Didn't he realize he was shaking as well? Not to mention, Tetsu had only just started swimming, unlike them. There were lots of things that Makoto wanted to say then, but he settled for a watery smile and soft murmur of 'thank you'. As Tetsuya returned the smile, Makoto made a silent oath to himself to get better at swimming if only to better protect both of his friends (even if Haru made not need it).

"Let's go." Haruka deadpanned as he took off in the direction of the swimming club. "You both need some more training before you could talk about protecting people."

Makoto exchanged a look with Tetsuya and chuckled.

"Indeed."

 **Separation**

It is just a year, his parents had said. Just a year before Tetsuya could join his two best friends over in the elementary school.

Regardless of how long it is, it still felt like an eternity.

Days crawled by without being able to have fun with Makoto and Haruka, and it hurt having to sit at a table with other kindergarteners, knowing that they will not notice him by themselves. As days turned to weeks, he returned to the monotonous routine of attending school without being there mentally, and returning home to the same environment as well. It made Makoto and Haruka worry, but really, what could they do?

"Why don't you try making friends?" Makoto had asked one day.

Who would want to be friends with someone they could not track? Tetsuya had not put that into words, but a knowing glance from Makoto told him that he got that full message. Haruka was hardly as persistent, letting him be after the first time he refused Makoto. But as much as that probably isn't good for Tetsuya, he appreciated his friend for understanding and not asking.

Somewhere in the middle of the year, a classmate of his joined the swimming club, and Tetsuya gained an obnoxious stalker with an obsession over ghosts.

"GHOST-CHAN! Where are you?! Let's go to the swimming club together this Saturday!" As Nagisa proceeded to make a fool of himself by standing up in class, Tetsuya quietly slunk away from the boy.

"GHOST-CHAN! Let me team up with you today, kay?!" Tetsuya answered with a silent 'okay', if only because he would rather Nagisa than any other classmates who were not bothered.

"Ghost-chan, I've been meaning to ask you for a while…But why do you have legs?"

In a manner that was just characteristic of him even in the future, Tetsuya accepted the abnormal friend he gained without so much as a sigh, politely correcting him whenever that obnoxious nickname threatened to enter any conversation. The one year of separation from Makoto and Haruka passed slightly quicker, but still slower than it would have been if he was with them.

 **Rin**

It's hard not to notice a boy when he has stark red hair, not unlike the blinding teal shade of Tetsuya's.

"Haru-chan, as I thought, you're the best in the water afterall."

The usual phrase was delivered with a warm smile. Haruka blinked up at his childhood friend, distracted for a second as he recalled the feelings he felt when that red haired boy passed him for a moment – the shock, the desperation, and how he had fervently tried to calm himself down by immersing in the feel of the water. They were all foreign emotions to him, and the idea that he met his match for once shouldn't feel quite as exciting as it is.

"Haruka-kun?" Tetsuya blinked.

"Ah, it's nothing." He allowed himself to be pulled out of the pool, noticing out of the corner of his eyes that the red haired boy had pushed himself out and flopped over on the ground. As he pulled his goggles and swimming cap off, their eyes met for an instance and Haruka was surprised by the face splitting grin that reached the other boy's face.

"I'll beat you the next time I see you!" The red haired boy mouthed to him as he was being dragged away by his friends to celebrate.

Haruka wondered why the world has changed once more…just like that time when he stood by the waterfall and discovered his love for water.

 **Change**

It is hard to say how long it had always just been the three of them: Makoto, Haruka, and Tetsuya. That's why…It's frightening when Rin entered the equation with a smile challenging the world and a hop in his steps as he demanded a relay from them.

Haruka's eyes glittered at the sight of his rival, though the fire died down a little at the mention of a team. Tetsuya was unmoved by the new addition, handling things as smoothly as he always did, when he first slipped into the duo and made them a trio. But for Makoto…it felt like the world had been pulled out from underneath him as he watched all he had ever known change.

Haruka begun slipping looks at the times, competing with Rin for far more times than Makoto cared to count. He raced Makoto and Tetsuya to school when he found out that Rin had been doing such training. A-And…And while Makoto had always said that Haru's the best in the water, it didn't mean that he wanted the water, and those in it, to steal Haru from him!

He tried his best to adapt, for Haru's sake, but it hadn't taken long before Tetsuya called him out on it.

"Haruka-kun is changing." The observation was made with a ruffle to Ren's head as he slept. Makoto cuddled his own sleeping bundle of Ran for some comfort.

"That's right." The acknowledgement came harder than he made it seem.

"…Makoto-kun, it is okay to feel ruffled. Afterall, Haruka-kun is heading to somewhere foreign…away from us. And we knew that this was coming for a long time." That was something he had never wanted to admit, but it was true.

"…Even if that's the case, I just can't bring myself to feel good." Makoto frowned. "As Haru's friend, I should feel happy for him, to finally have found a rival. And yet…all I feel is envy and sadness. With things as they are, how can I say with pride that I'm Haru's friend?" A long silence followed, before Tetsuya sighed and gazed up at him with powdery blue eyes. "Hey, how do you feel, Tetsu-chan?"

"It is hard to say, but…I do think that it is a pity." Eh? Why? Tetsuya picked up on his question even before he voiced it. "Because unlike the both of you, I swim only because I like to be with my friends. It's not as if I like swimming very much, so I never did have a chance of keeping up with Haruka-kun…But you do, and yet, you're giving it up."

It felt like the whole world had stopped to stare at him.

"…Eh?" Even the word sounded choked and strangled. Tetsuya straightened and stared at him with determined eyes nevertheless, looking out of place with a drooling Ren in his arms and on Makoto's comforter.

"What I mean is…Why don't you try to challenge Matsuoka-kun and Haruka-kun to a match? I'm sure you would find it enlightening, Makoto-kun."

The whistle was blown the moment his fingertips touched the black expense of the poolside. Makoto breathed deeply, pulling his head out of the drifting waters. It was an instinctive motion that came to him despite the mind-breaking shock that had filled his body, a motion that was soon accompanied by wide-eyed stares directed at the duo at either side of him, and returned with similar expressions.

Soon, the gape that Rin had been making transformed into a large grin, and the clap on his back tossed Makoto forward, almost hitting his head against the wall.

"Well done, Makoto!" Rin laughed, and for once, Makoto found himself not filled with envy at the sound.

Makoto tossed his head to the other side, glancing up shyly at Haruka, because Haruka's approval mattered so much more than Rin's did.

It took him aback when he found himself gazing into a different set of eyes. For all that the cobalt blues remain the exact same colour, it was the way in which Haru gazed at him that had changed. Gone was the uneasiness that Haru had felt had being asked for a match by his best friend, and replacing it was shock. Mind-breaking shock, with a glimmer of something – Makoto felt a jolt when he realized it was the same way it had been with Rin – that sent thrills down his spine and made him long for more matches. Approval was not there, but it hadn't mattered.

"What 'I'm the best in the waters'?" Haruka huffed. His face was emotionless, but it definitely was a smile which Makoto had seen in his eyes. "I'll definitely beat you the next time, Makoto."

Makoto tossed his head back and laughed.

 **World**

In the beginning, it would not be a lie to say that Rin felt like an intruder.

Amongst friends who had been with each other for almost all their lives, it was only natural to feel that way. Every time Rin looked at Haruka, Makoto and Tetsuya were always there. When they had to make decisions, a quick glance at the trio and their silent conversations always brought back memories of Sousuke. Why had he left Sousuke to come here? Had he given up too fast on his dream relay with Sousuke? As quickly as these thoughts come, they were always blown away by a sideward glance from Haru, and an elbowing from Tetsu.

For half a year, Rin stayed with them. In that half a year, he desperately tried to convince Haru to join his relay team. (The other two needed no chiding.) He had fun competing against Makoto when the yearning for Sousuke became too painful, and delighted in teaching Tetsu to become a better swimmer in his free time. Before long, it felt only natural to be with them.

They were now his world. Haruka was the free expanse of the heavens, Makoto the stable earth that grounded them, and Tetsuya was like the calming ocean, always reeling them in before they unravelled too much. They were his world in Iwatobi.

It felt almost too painful when he signed up for a homestay in Australia, agreeing to swim there instead. However, as much as he loved his world, he loved swimming more, and it was a necessary sacrifice to achieve the dream that his father had failed to achieve. So, gritting his teeth and putting up a façade of bravery, Rin announced his destination to his friends and watched as the emotions flickered across their faces.

To his delight, just a day before he left, Haru finally, finally agreed to the relay, and so, he was finally able to have his dream relay before he left for Australia.

(It felt like the end of a dream when he stepped into Australia.)

 **Relay**

It hurt to know that this was the final time he was swimming with them. As Tetsuya thrusted his hands forward to cross the final distance needed to touch the walls, he felt the tears welling up. Did they fall? He wasn't sure, not with the cooling water on his skin.

A split second later, he turned in time to see Rin's figure blocking out the light, tumbling into the waters with all the grace of a shark.

Makoto pulled him out of the water. Tetsuya watched Rin struggle to swim his fastest, watched the determination lay out on Haruka's face, and realizes that the team was going to lose half its members in the span of a week. The epiphany brought new emotions, which slithered out regrettably when they clung to the trophy and embraced each other in joy and grief (for their first and final relay). Tetsuya clung onto his best friends, curling his fingers at the crook of Makoto's neck and Haruka's shoulders, and let it all out with trembling shoulders and a stream of tears.

Why hadn't he told them earlier that he was moving?

At this point, the weight of that knowledge felt almost too heavy to reveal.

It was only after Rin had left that he sat them down and announced it.

"This may seem sudden, but I will be moving this Sunday." A pause, and he took in the shock on their faces, guilt welling up inevitably. "I know I should have told you earlier, but with Matsuoka-kun leaving as well, I didn't want to put too much pressure on you to do well during the relay. I…"

He struggled for the right words, and gave up with a lost 'I'm sorry'.

"Don't be." Makoto offered a weak smile that only made the hurt intensify. "We understand, Tetsu. No need to blame yourself when you've probably been the one antagonizing over this for weeks." As much as Tetsu tried to minimise contact, he did not flinch away when the larger boy leaned over to bump his shoulders to his.

"What Makoto said." Haruka said when he realized Tetsuya was looking to him for his reaction.

With a sad smile, Tetsuya wondered where he was going to find such friends in Tokyo.

 **Fate**

If fate was what brought them together, fate would definitely bring them together again. With that mindset, Haruka continued swimming and competing with his remaining best friend. True enough, after the last competition of the season, offers for some sports scholarship came for the both of them. After a consultation with Tetsuya, they were off on their way to Tokyo, leaving behind Iwatobi and bringing along the well wishes of their families and friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Basketball**

With the backdrop of a sun illuminating the court with its last rays, two young players fought for the ball in Tokyo. As Tetsuya reached out for the nth time and finally, finally stole the ball from his new friend, a smile reached his lips.

The sweat trickled down the back of his neck and drowned his shirt in water. The heat was almost unbearable compared to the coolness of the water which he had grown so used to. Although his limbs felt like noodles, and his head was pounding slightly with the adrenaline, Tetsuya gave a full blown smile when his partner stole the ball back.

So this is basketball…!

 **Tokyo**

"Woah-! So this is Tokyo!" Makoto gasped as they finally alighted.

Bustling streets filled with people, the absence of water, and the never ending line of high rise buildings, filling his vision…Even if Makoto had been to town before, he had never been in a city that's as busy or as humongous as this. With a growing smile, he wrapped his fingers around his partner's wrist and pulled him along before they got separated.

"Aren't you excited, Haru-…" He trailed off at the sight of his half-dead partner. Makoto sighed and smiled in exasperation. Crowds have never been Haru's specialty. "Let's go, Haru-chan. We gotta meet Tetsu-chan before heading over to the dorm."

"Drop the '-chan' honorific already…"

 **Reunion**

"So you are the 'Haruka-kun' and 'Makoto-kun' whom I've heard of!" Ogiwara grinned as he slung an arm around the back of his head. "You're a bit different from who I've expected."

"Ah, and you must be Ogiwara-kun, right? It's nice to meet you. Tetsu-chan has been talking only good things about us, I hope." Makoto smiled as he politely extended a hand, which the younger boy took after a moment of surprise. Ogiwara skipped back, chuckling to himself. Tetsuya sighed as Makoto tilted his head in confusion. Surely, Ogiwara must be reminded of the first time they meet.

Turning to the final member of the group, Tetsuya nodded a greeting to the tired cobalt eyes that had been staring at him.

"Would you like a mackerel sandwich, Haruka-kun? I got my mother to make some." He offered. He took amusement in how cobalt eyes were quick to brighten up with a glint that could almost pass off as childish. If there was anything that could make Haruka act his age, it could only be mackerel and pools.

"…Tetsuya." Haruka called silently after his first bite of mackerel sandwich. Tetsuya blinked and leaned in, listening attentively. "…We missed you."

The sincerity ringing in those words warmed his heart and brought a soft smile to his face. He leaned back, still peering into cobalt blue eyes with his own powdery blues, and nodded in understanding.

"So did I."

 **Natural**

 _The feeling was that of a persistent itch under his skin, impossible to remove and ever so frustrating. In that town, in the safety of Iwatobi where he could keep to his pools and mackerels, the absence of a part of them had been so bothersome that Haruka found the need to stay hours in the pool to wipe off his worries. And even thereafter, they still return in a couple of minutes._

" _Haru-chan, you should get out of water now." Even so, Makoto sat down by the pool and dipped his feet into the water. "…Haru-chan, did you hear me?"_

 _He did, and he didn't want to hear it._

 _Turning back onto his stomach, he dived down to the deepest part of the pool and tried to face his worries. The water is alive. The water reflects all that there is. And there is nothing to fear so long as he accepts everything._

 _A trickle of water into his lips made him choke. He coughed into the water, and the onslaught of fluid replacing air made him swim up to the surface at once._

" _Haru!" He could hear the worried cry of his best friend._

 _Haruka peered into the water surface, and sees the source of that nagging anxiety._

 _Rin was gone. He had long come in terms with that. He still had Makoto to compete with, and that had been enough. …Or so he had thought. But what about Tetsuya? He was not part of swimming. In fact, it was something they had dragged him into. However…he was a part of them, and without him, they were missing a critical part._

 _Was he being locked outside his house even now? Are his parents even aware of his presence, or of his absence? Where was he going to go without Haru's house being beside his, and without someone to throw a rock at the doors for him?_

 _These were all needless concerns. Tetsuya was tall enough to press the doorbell by himself now. He has always been independent and responsible. There shouldn't be any need for worries._

 _Yet…it just does not feel natural._

"… _Haru?" Makoto waded into the waters beside him. And suddenly, he wanted to hide his face, to shield away his discomfort and pretend that he was fine with being the way he is, the way they were left behind repeatedly by their friends, and – He really didn't want Makoto to leave as well._

 _Perhaps, something showed on his face._

 _Makoto leaned into his field of vision and pursued his lips._

" _Let's chase after Tetsu, shall we?" At his surprised stare, Makoto nodded in determination. "Unlike Rin, he never gave us time to get used to it. It's only natural if we were to chase him down in Tokyo and make him stay with us for a bit longer. We can definitely do it! We have scholarship offers from Tokyo, not to mention that school would have a bigger pool than Iwatobi SC…"_

 _With Tetsuya…_

Haruka stripped and leapt into the pool without hesitation. Makoto's exasperated cry of "Haru!" was quickly eliminated by the flowing sound of dripping waters and the feel of cooling, soothing waters of their new school's pool. As Haruka dived deeper into the pool, he gazed at his reflection in the waters, and took comfort in the content he sees reflected back at him.

Even if he was in a different part of Japan, in a different pool, this was alright. This was natural, so long as he has Makoto and Tetsuya both by his side.

 **Funny**

"What is?"

"Your friends, Kuroko! One is all huge and tall but as meek as a mice whereas the other strips when he catches sight of any pools!" Ogiwara chuckled as he leaned against the wall. "And then, there's you, with your invisibility and all. All three of you are funny!"

Tetsuya gave him a stink-eye and leaned back.

"Given how Ogiwara-kun has another rice grain on his face, I don't think you have the right to say that about us."

"Eh? Ah!" Without question or even an embarrassed apology, Ogiwara popped the rice grain into his lips. Standing by his side, Tetsuya only gave a soft sigh and folded his arms. Sometimes, he really wondered about his friends.

 **Ogiwara**

He was a good change for Tetsu.

Standing secretively outside the court with Haru, Makoto smiled as he watched Tetsu make the fifth pass he had that day to the boy. Although he was not familiar with the basketball terminology, the match seemed difficult with two teams of three facing each other, of which both included middle schoolers. As Tetsu once more tried to throw the ball into the hoop, only for it to rebound and be caught by Ogiwara with an exasperated shout, Makoto couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out.

"Jeez, Tetsu-chan…" His smile softened. It seemed like neither him nor Haru had needed to worry much about Tetsu's wellbeing here. "Tetsu somehow seems to be having fun."

"…Yeah."

"Do you want to join them, Haru?"

"I don't want to. It seems troublesome." Haruka furrowed his brows at the thought of playing. "Swimming is a much better alternative."

"…yeah, right." Makoto sweatdropped. It's just as he expected. "Wait a minute-! Why are you stripping, Haru?!"

"I saw a water fountain over there just now."

"Do you even know how you look right now, Haru?!"

A scantily clad boy, dressed in only a swimsuit, running in the direction of a water fountain in the park. Makoto honestly feared for his friend's reputation. But just before he chased after his best friend, as Makoto leaned down to pick up Haru's clothes, he looked over to the basketball court and squinted at the sight of the basketball players laughing on the court. Even Tetsu, while emotionless as always, conveyed his laughter and glee through his eyes.

It was a blinding sight that brought a smile to his face, one which could only be comparable to the sight of Haru jumping into his own element.

Yes, indeed, they had Ogiwara to thank for introducing the life changing sport to Tetsu.

 **Friends**

'The friends of my friends are my friends!' This common saying is one which Shigehiro has always firmly believed in. Be that as it may, he knew that more often than naught, the same does not apply to the opposite party, and over time, Shigehiro has become more than used to shows of rejection whenever he moved to a new area.

But Makoto and Haruka are different.

"A relay?" He blinked at his invisible friend.

"Yes." Kuroko seemed as apathetic as always, yet there was a burning passion in his eyes. "Makoto-kun and Haruka-kun wanted to participate in the public's under 13 relay competition…No, to be exact, we need to play this game, and our fourth swimmer cannot be anyone else but you, Ogiwara-kun."

Shigehiro blinked at the serious gleam in his eyes and frowned.

"…There seems to be more to this than you're telling, Kuroko." A guilty glance to the side confirmed his suspicion. Nevertheless, Shigehiro beamed. "But no worries, Kuroko! I'd be free on that day! Not to mention, to be honest, I feel really honoured to be invited by those swimmer friends of yours!"

Relief showed clearly on Kuroko's face before some amusement entered his eyes.

"Free, huh."

"Eh? What did you say?"

"No, you must have misheard, Ogiwara-kun. More importantly, do you know how to swim the butterfly style?"

"Nope!" He beamed. "In fact, I've never had a single swimming lesson in my entire life!"

"Ah. Is that so." Kuroko's enthusiasm plummeted.

They spent the next month teaching Shigehiro to swim. Unsurprisingly, with how naturally his father had also taken to physical training in order to become the high ranking soldier he is, Shigehiro took only a week to learn swimming in the breast stroke, another for butterfly, and they spent the remaining two weeks practicing their exchanges and improving their times.

"Makoto-sempai and Haru-sempai are really good." Shigehiro mused one day as he watched the two from the side of the public pool. "Or rather, they swim prettily. Even the passer-bys are stopping to admire their swimming."

"Aren't they?"

"Argh! Where did you come from?!" Shigehiro somehow managed to stand his ground on the wet slippery floor and peer down at the other bemused boy. "You scared me. You could pass off as a ghost in the waters if you want, Tetsu!"

"That would be an interesting experience." Tetsuya commented. His powdery eyes practically glittered as he watched the duo make their exchange. "But in any case, I agree with your statement just now. Makoto-kun and Haruka-kun swim better and smoother than anyone I have ever known, even Matsuoka-kun."

"Eh?" His interest was spiked. "Matsuoka? Who's that?"

"The sempai whose place you are taking." Tetsu answered honestly. "The swimmer who used to swim butterfly with us before he left for Australia to pursue a professional career in swimming."

Shigehiro blinked and stammered. What should he say to that? That he is honoured to be taking the place of such a person? Because honestly, rather than being honoured, it felt like he was intruding on the team with his weaker skills and his inexperience.

"Makoto-kun and Haruka-kun were really close with him, and even to me, the team we were before was the strongest team." Tetsuya continued frankly, not noticing his internal turmoil. "That's why…this relay right now is important to us. Because it represents our first step to moving on with a team different from the one Matsuoka-san was on."

"…But is it really okay for someone as inexperienced as me to be here?" Shigehiro furrowed his brows. "Especially for such an important relay?"

"Of course it is." Tetsuya glanced at him with the edges of his lips tilted downwards. "In fact, it's all the more important because it's your first relay, and we want to make it the experience of a lifetime for you. You will be moving soon, won't you?"

Shigehiro was at a loss for words at that but he offered a small smile, moved by the sentiments.

"Call it a parting gift, but we want you to leave as part of our team." The gentle voice which poked into their conversation belonged to Makoto. The senior joined them by the side of the pool and ruffled both their hair fondly. "Not to mention, we wanted to thank you for looking after Tetsu in the time when he was alone here."

"…I am not Ran or Ren, Makoto-kun." Tetsuya deadpanned.

Shigehiro leaned into his touch subconsciously, shielding his watery eyes.

This…This is too much. It is too much shock in one day for him, not including the fact that he just discovered that Haruka always wears a swimsuit under his clothes. His heart felt so warm that it actually hurts to think of moving away from them.

"Y-you're making this too sentimental, guys…" He choked up and ducked into the waters before they could see his tears of joy.

Smiling wryly, the duo looked on in amusement.

The actual relay brought to him the most unforgettable experience of his life, topping even the memory of the first time he touched a basketball. In that instance, he thought he saw a seal, a killer whale, and a dolphin joining him in the waters. Those were insane animals to be comparing his friends to, of course, but it was true that he felt their support even while he was in the pool, swimming the last lap by himself.

When he moved with his parents, it was with a smile and emotional goodbyes with his best friends.

 **Free**

Free. It means to indulge in the water. It means to accept the water, to carve through the water, and to push oneself through the cavity that he makes for himself. To him, that is free.

However, ever since he came to Tokyo, 'free' never seemed quite the same.

Timings and things like winning and losing…Those things became evermore important in the swimming club that he was in, especially since his ability to stay comfortable with Makoto and Tetsuya by his sides is riding on them. He had to win in order to stay. He had to improve his timing. He had to care, and not to just be nonchalant and just to enjoy the water.

Honestly, it troubled him to have his ability to choose taken away from him.

"Tetsuya, why…do you still play even when you're losing?" He could not help but ask one day, when Tetsuya invited him out to basketball again. "…Do you even care that you're losing?"

The question was blunt, but Haruka does not apologize because he knew that Tetsuya appreciated bluntness, and that was how their relationship worked.

Powdery blue eyes gazed down at him in contemplation before Tetsuya plopped down in the bench beside him, panting heavily.

"…Is this about yourself, Haruka-kun?" Tetsuya did not meet his gaze as he continued warily. "I noticed your swimming form has recently become more troubled."

He did not change his expression, although his grip over the waterbottle tightened ever so slightly.

"…To answer your question, Haruka-kun, I do care that I'm losing. Winning and losing…I think it's only human to want to win and to fear losing, because the happiness associated with winning makes the pain of losing worthwhile. In my case, I do think that all these losses of mine will eventually collect to form an even greater happiness, when I win someday." Tetsuya clenched and unclenched his fists. "Besides, I've made a promise with Ogiwara-kun. I will play on the same court with him one day, and that would be the day I am the happiest."

"I-" Haruka hesitated and paused. "…Thank you, Tetsu."

"No problem, Haru-kun." A smile flickered passed his face.

The next day, the swimming club was in awe when one of their first year prodigies leapt into the waters and set a new record for the entire club.

"What changed?" The swimming club captain elbowed Haruka's partner wryly.

"I guess…" Makoto smiled as his best friend finished yet another lap, setting another record. "Haru has finally decided that he wants to be free and let himself care, instead of holding himself down with meaningless restrictions."

 **Letter**

' _Dear Rin,_

 _How are you doing? Haru, Tetsu, and I have been doing well._

 _Shortly after you left for Australia, Tetsu ended up moving with his parents to Tokyo. Haru and I accepted a scholarship from a middle school in Tokyo, and we are currently residing in a dormitory of the school._

 _Living away from home is really hard. Every day, it is difficult having to wake up to cook our own meals and even to do our laundry. Haru is always demanding to cook mackerel. If he had it his way, we would be eating mackerel for every meal of the day, every day in the week._

 _Training in our middle school is really tough. We are always getting beaten by our seniors, and even Haru has been losing many times. Recently, Haru has been troubling over whether to care about winning and losing. Since he has always been lucky enough to be able to enjoy swimming without having to care, this is just another thing that he would have to face eventually. As for me, just being able to compete against Haru and you is enough to satisfy me. I've been trying my best to up my timing so I could beat you two the next time we compete._

 _Ah, that's right! Recently, the three of us went out to compete in a relay with a friend of Tetsu. He had really taken care of Tetsu in the time when we were separated, so I hope you don't mind him taking your position. That's to say, you're not being replaced, Rin! If you have time, please return at anytime and we'll swim a relay together as a team again._

 _Afterall…Together, we are definitely the strongest team!_

 _Tetsu and Haru have refused to write anything here, but you know how they are. I'm sure they wish the best for you._

 _With that, all the best for your dreams, Rin. We hope to hear a reply from you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Makoto_

 _P.S. Tetsu has recently taken up basketball, and I sent a picture of him with Ogiwara-kun alongside this letter. Pretty, isn't it?_

 **Letter 2**

 _Makoto,_

 _What's with the 'sincerely'? No need to be so formal!_

 _I've been doing well here over in Australia. Unlike you, I don't have someone demanding mackerel everyday for all three meals of the day. In fact, my home-stays were fortunately kind enough to help me do my laundry, and to provide healthy western meals for me every day! Haha! Be jealous of that!_

… _Like you, I have been facing my fair share of troubles here. Training has been tough, and I've been losing a lot recently to my peers. The language barrier is a pain as well, so that's one thing you have better than me. To be honest, even though this might seem bad of me, I'm glad that Haru is also having troubles over there. It makes me feel like I'm not alone in my troubles, and…well, like you said, that uncaring attitude of his has always been irritating, so it's about time that he got rid of it!_

 _Also, I would be lying if I said I'm not jealous that someone else got to swim with you guys, but since that person helped Tetsu…I'd let it go. Next time I get back to Japan though, I expect to swim several relays with you guys, and I want you and Haru to be better._

 _Tell Haru that I am still aiming to beat him (that applies to you too, Makoto!). I'll be doing my best over here to improve my swimming, so don't let me down when I return._

 _Rin_

 _P.S. It took me three tries before I saw Tetsu there, but I see, he has taken up basketball huh. When we get back, we ought to go for a match as well with Tetsu's team – Just to let them know we're not just their competitors in swimming!_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Friends** – Free the movie was able to show how Haruka could never move on due to that fateful relay. This draws parallels with Rin, over with his side in Australia, but unlike Rin, Haru has Mako and Tetsu with him. As expected, no scholarship would allow the awardee to act selfishly, what with the 'I only swim free' and all, so the school had Haru take part in an informal relay match before anything else. Having Ogiwara help is obviously Makoto's idea, but in any case, with one of the swimmers being different and still being able to bring about that same sight which Rin showed him, it was a small step towards moving on for Haru still.

 **Free** – Haruka was able to rebound with Kuroko's words due to the many parallels he drew with himself. Just like Kuroko's promise with Ogiwara, it reminded him of his rival, Rin, and by remembering how hard his counterpart is working over in Australia, he became more motivated to start caring and abandoning the apathetic mask he had on all the while. Of course, the presence of Makoto as yet another rival is another driving factor for his change.

 **Letter** – Brought about by both Makoto's status as a rival and Tetsu's moving, which brought the gang over to Tokyo, it's only right that Makoto would feel obligated to inform their old friend about their new residency. And like Letter 2 says for itself, Rin was comforted by how he was not alone, and the reminder of their forgotten promise was a push on the back for him to stay strong. And naturally, since the gang is over in Tokyo, Rin had not run into Haru when he returned to Iwatobi.

 **Other notes:** I edited the grammar here. Ah, and also, I give up. I wanted to get within the top 10 stories of this fandom, if not to at least have a ranking that reflects this story, but it seems like nobody likes this story afterall. Like all my other stories, this one's also doomed to be comment-less. (TT . TT) Maybe I should take it down and just send it to those who expressed interest. Moving over to AO3 also sounds good at this point of time. It's obvious nobody cares anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Together**

"Please sign your name over here…And here are your keys and room number. Your things should have been brought over to your room, so please check to make sure that everything is there. The boys' dormitory is straight down here, with a left turn at the first intersection. Welcome to Teiko Middle School, and we hope you have a good time here!"

"…I'm here to switch with you." Haruka stated blankly.

"Hm? Ah, Vice-President! Thanks for your hard work!"

"Not at all. Go take your break, Takashi. Makoto should be making onigiri for the helpers right now." Cobalt eyes flickered to a waiting junior and frowned at the amusement in his eyes. Tetsuya was having too much fun for having forced to wait for presumably several minutes.

"Huh? The Dorm President is doing that again? Didn't we tell him many times that we'll do it?!"

"Even so, you're clearly smiling too much for someone reproaching Makoto. Go take a breather, and tell Makoto to show his face around instead of hiding away in the kitchen."

"Right-o!" Takashi saluted and raced away.

"It seems unlike you to allow yourself to be saddled with such responsibilities." Tetsuya commented lightly as Haruka leaned over the clipboard to search for his name.

"I refused to do it. But when Makoto got elected as the Dorm President, for some reason, it became a unanimous decision that I would be his partner. And you know how Makoto is."

Even with his monotonous tone, it was evident even to Tetsuya that the decision bugged Haruka. The proof of that was the small scrunching of brows that made its way to his usually blank face. Catching a glimpse of his lips twitching upwards, Haruka sent a sigh in his childhood friend's direction and shook his head.

"More importantly, I can't find your name here. Could your invisibility work even for your name?"

"Ah- …that could be due to my late application to the dorm. Mother decided to take flight over to Italy with Father mid-way through my application into this school." Tetsuya explained, bringing a frown to Haruka's face. "Of course, it was only after she looked up the names of the new Dorm President and his vice that she decided to put me in this dormitory. Mother has always been free in that sense."

Free. It figures that Tetsu would use that word, but it still irked Haruka to know that that irresponsible parent dragged her child all the way to Tokyo, just to leave him by himself in the midst of strangers.

"And now, you have no room, no home, and no housemates to look after you." Haruka sighed irritably. "How troublesome. What are we going to do with you?"

"I know how to cook for myself."

"Absolutely not. Come with me, Tetsu. You'll be living with me and Makoto. Ah, and Makoto, take over the stand. You know what to do."

"Sure, ah – Eh? Tetsu-chan? What're you doing here?"

 **Comfortable**

"Ne, my name is Murasakibara Atsushi. Can you tell me where to get to the dorm?"

Crunch, crunch, went the last packet of maiubo that was in his grasp. In a plastic bag hanging limply from his arm, there were packets of other snacks such as chips and cheap candy.

Looming over the guy manning the stand, Murasakibara wondered what he was going to do from now on. Being able to live away from his family in Akita is certainly good since he'll be able to eat as many sweets as he wants, but the problem is where he can get them from, with the limited budget his parents gave him.

The guy manning the stand beamed and ticked off his name on the chart.

"So…Murasakibara-kun, ne? Here are your keys, and this is your room number. Please head down this street and turn left at the next intersection to reach the dorms. Your luggage should be in your room, so please check that everything has arrived in shape."

"Eh, thank you." He took the offered items and strode off slowly. Erm…what was everything that the guy said?

" _Dorm President, why are you manning the stand? You should be chilling out in the cafeteria instead of running yourself down!"_

" _Well…Haru had to bring a first-year to his room, and there was no one else here, so…"_

" _Even so! You should have called one of us! It's not right to put so much pressure on yourself when you're already handling all the planning."_

" _But-"_

 _The new guy sighed. "You can't be helped…As I thought, Mako-kaa-san is too hardworking for his own good."_

" _Eh? Mother?"_

" _Now, please go back to the cafeteria. I'll handle the stand until Nanase-vice-president comes back."_

Murasakibara wandered around aimlessly, the crunching of his chips growing louder as he tried his hardest to remember the things the guy at the stands told him to do. A sigh and approaching footsteps drew his attention a moment later. Blinking down at the guy – who was taller than he expected, standing up, though he expects him to be taller if he didn't actually slump down – Murasakibara tilted his head and chomped a chip lazily.

"Sorry…I forgot everything you said."

The guy blinked back and slowly smiled, looking oddly happy and resigned simultaneously.

"It's totally okay. Let me bring you to your room then, shall I? Ah, and since you're eating sweets, would you like a cupcake too? The girls over at their dormitory made too many cupcakes and gave the extras to us. I never understand why they're always making too much, honestly speaking…"

Murasakibara's eyes lit up as he gazed down at his senior admiringly.

Yes. With such a nice senior here, he would definitely be comfortable living here.

 **Lost**

This has never been a good idea from the start, Kise thought as he crouched over in an alley.

Just because his older sisters got tired of being mobbed by eager-to-please fangirls everyday, it does not mean they had to send him to the dormitory! For a start, they did not even live all that far away, being in Kanagawa. Not to mention, they were throwing him out to the wolves! How was he going to survive this treatment everyday by himself?

"They're too cruel-!" Kise sobbed to himself, so lost in his pity that it was only a moment later that he realized the surroundings were foreign. "Ah? Where is this?"

Long hallways without an end in sight. Not a single soul in sight either. Not to mention, the decorations all seem a bit too high class to be a normal dorm.

"All your things should be in the storeroom down the hall if your name wasn't on the list. So, move your things here, Tetsu." A click of the door later, a stranger was walking out of the room.

Kise appraised the other teenager curiously, fascinated by the straight posture he stood with.

Large cobalt orbs poked out of his half-lidded eyes, giving him a weird aura that was a mixture of both indifference and determination. Framing his slightly tan skin were long raven locks that fell naturally into a sort of neat, boyish hairstyle. Not to mention, he was thin and slender, with muscles in the right places that made him both attractive and regal looking.

It took a moment to realize what he was thinking, and Kise shook off the thoughts fervently. He was not his sister, and he most definitely wouldn't want to start ogling potential models for her fashion business!

The teen in question was looking at him with suspicious narrowed eyes. Kise jumped when he realized the good looking teenager was walking straight for him.

"Oi." A hand clasped around his arm. Kise made a weird sound at the back of his throat. "…You're on the management's floor. Is there something you need?"

"I-I-I-I-" In the blur of the moment, he bowed from waist down. "I'm lost! Please help me get to the Teiko Boys' Dormitory!"

The teenager cocked his head and lifted a brow in a way that only amplified the aura of disinterest that he had. The touch of curiosity and mild irritation that crossed his eyes was also good.

"…I got it." He did?!

Five minutes later and an explanation from another senior later on, Kise was burning to the roots of his hair as the sempai – Hiroshi was it? – bowed over in laughter at his plight. Apparently, he had entered through the backgates and ended up on the top floor of the dormitory in the midst of his dash away from the vicious girls. How humiliating!

"H-Here's your keys and – Pfft!" It did not help in the least how Hiroshi slammed his hand on the table repeated. It did not help at all.

Lost in his lamenting, it was a sigh that brought him out of his depression.

"...Since there's nothing else, I'd go over and get the menu ready for the after tea session." The good-looking senior from earlier nodded before he strode away coolly. Kise's eyes followed him into the dorm when something occurred to him.

"…Wait. Since I was on the management floor earlier, doesn't that mean he is one of the people managing this place?" Kise asked.

"Y-You're right." Damn the senior for still laughing. "Nanase is the dormitory's vice-president this year. Also scouted for his talent in swimming, he's one of the double aces of the swimming team and a member of the national-level relay team that we have. Other than that, he's also the one deciding our menu's, doing the maintenance around here, and for some reason, he's also considered the pride of the Art Club. So, don't offend him if you don't want your meals to be bad! He's god around here!"

"God…" Kise parroted, eyes wide in shock. Well, with how regal the other teen had looked back there, he figured he would be a successful person in this school. As a slow grin reached his lips, Kise wondered how he could match the God of this interesting school.

 **Wild**

"Well, you guys are probably expecting some long and sleep-inducing speech, so I'll just cut straight to the point and tell you guys the things you want to know." Makoto's smile was slightly wavering, but it strengthened as he reached the end of his sentence. "Sleep well, eat well, and work hard. Those are the main policies of this dorm, and I don't expect much of anything else from you. If there are any problems, feel free to let me or Haru know and – Ah. Oh, I never really introduced myself, did I?"

Tetsuya smiled as Makoto scratched his cheek sheepishly.

"I am-"

"We already know who you are, Mako-kaa-chan!" An orca plushie was thrown out and Makoto caught it by instinct.

"Eh? 'Mother?'"

"First-years, this is Tachibana Makoto, otherwise known as Mako-kaa-chan!" One of the second-years leapt up in front of the dining room and pointed enthusiastically at Makoto. Tetsuya found the panicking features of his friend interesting. "If anyone dares to hurt our mother…We'll find him and we'll kill him!" The senior made a slicing motion against his throat.

The threat was entertaining, but Tetsuya got the feeling that it was a serious warning. Not that he disapproved of it.

"T-Tanaka-kun!" Makoto cried out in exasperation.

"And over there is our Godly Father and vice-president, Nanase Haruka." 'Tanaka' slunk back, bowing dramatically as he brought attention to their table, where an emotionless looking Haruka sat. Tetsuya shared a look with Haru and conveyed his amusement with his eyes, thoroughly entertained by the irritation in Haru's cobalt blues.

"I am Nanase Haruka. I like mackerel and I only swim in free and relays." After that short introduction, Haruka sat back down.

 _So short!_ Tetsuya could hear the thoughts of the other first-years.

As Makoto went on with a rundown of the usual routine in the dormitory, Tetsuya allowed a small smile to slip at how wild this place is. These three years would certainly be fun.

 **Club**

Club day was a day in Teiko where all afterschool activities go full out to recruit new members. From game stalls to constant music being played and even a spectacular show put up by the Synchronized Swimming team. It was a much celebrated day as all second and third years got ready to sink their claws fully into ignorant first-years.

But-

"Aah…It's been so long since we got time like this to ourselves."

-For a certain duo who managed to wiggle some time out of their club, it was none of their business.

Slacking on the couch of the lodging room, there was truly nothing more than Makoto wanted in this moment.

From checking the attendances of the dorm residents to constant management of their letters, parcels, and luggage, and right down to the damage control for the facilities, the duties of the dorm president was never-ending. And he had hardly ventured into the area of food, allergy, and sickness and whatnot, which Haru was handling. Perhaps they would get used to the sheer amount of responsibilities that they now have…but for now-

"I'm so tired." Makoto exhaled wearily. He just wanted to lie down forever without worrying about the hundred or so residents that they have.

"You sound like an old man." Haru's deadpan made him smile.

"As for you, you look half-dead, Haru."

"…Hey, 'Dad', 'Mom'."

"Urgh…Like I said, let's stop it with the jokes already, Nijimura." Makoto sighed as he turned to his year old friend, classmate, and dorm mate. "People outside the dorm would take it the wrong way, wouldn't they?"

"It's meant to be taken that way, dummy. That's why it's called a tease." The basketball captain huffed as he sank into the couch beside them. "Anyways, if you two really want to deter rumours about such things, you should stop acting like that already."

"…Like?" Makoto voiced their concerns after sharing a puzzled look with Haru.

"Like that. How ignorant can the two of you be?" Nijimura blew out a puff of air that sent locks of raven hair flying. "Anyways, aren't you guys going to join your team in drawing in the first-years? I bet having their poster boys there would help them out lots."

"We wanted to, but our captain blew us off telling us to go rest." Makoto chuckled sheepishly. "Something about keeping in top condition for the representative match in the team. How about you? Is the basketball team able to manage?"

"More than that, winning the nationals last year helped us close our doors early on this year. That's why I'm here." Nijimura laid a clipboard into Makoto's hands. "Here, it's the list of membership applications and transfers to the basketball team from the dorm members. Their groupings are also listed here, so you could provide some counselling if needed."

"Thank you, Nijimura. Looks like we won't have to pull another all nighter today." Makoto yawned.

Nijimura snorted and stood up.

"Your captain's right. You do look terrible. Both of you, in fact." Grey eyes flickered between them empathetically before he sighed. "Run me and Hiroshi through some of the procedures tonight, will you? We don't mind taking up some of the dorm president and vice-president's responsibilities just to help maintain Teiko's prestige. The swimming team's one of the many pride of this school afterall."

"Nijimura…" Haruka peered up at him with sparkling eyes.

"Haru, no. We won't be swimming instead of sleeping in the time he gave us. Don't sulk. You're already spending enough time in the bathtub as it is."

Nijimura snorted. And they say they aren't a couple.

"I'll be going then. Thank me by giving me fried rice for dinner tonight."

"Sure, we will." Makoto beamed, watching him walk away. "Haah…with that, we have the attendance checking and gate closing duties down. We'll be able to sleep so much earlier now." He sighed in relief.

"…He's here." Haru announced, pointing at a name on the list.

"Eh?"

Makoto leaned over and upon reading the one 'Kuroko Tetsuya', a smile broke out on his face. It quickly faded into a frown when he saw the 'third-string' table he was placed under.

How was Tetsuya dealing with this? Even if it is just the try-outs, he knew his childhood friend has always loved basketball and took it seriously. As thoughts of various encouragement quotes ran through his head, Haru brushed his shoulder up against his and pulled him out of his worries.

"Tetsuya will be alright."

It was a simple statement without any reasoning to support it, but looking into the cobalt gaze, Makoto found himself unable to find any arguments with that.

"I hope so."

 **Strong**

Tetsuya believed that he has to be strong, even if others believed him to be weak.

Afterall, he was the one who told Haruka that the pain from the losses will eventually accumulate to give a much bigger happiness from a more delightful win.

That's why, even after Tetsuya was ranked in as a third-string member, he still continued staying late after club activities and practicing by himself.

In order to one day play the dream match he has with Ogiwara, he must work hard.

Without complains and without tears, Tetsuya works straight towards his dream.

If Makoto and Haruka noticed anything, they didn't say anything. But the silent encouragement he received from the vanilla milkshakes he found at the gym's bench and even the frequent dinners saved for him by a sleeping Haru was enough to make the determination in his heart strengthen.

Tetsuya was weak, but he was determined to become stronger.

With his friends' belief in him, it only made him that much more determined.

 **Basketball II**

The water is alive. When he dives in, the water bares its fangs and threatens to overwhelm. But there is no need to fear. Using his hands, he just needs to carve a pathway into the water and slide himself through it.

Basketball is the same.

The players are always threatening to overcome and to devour, persistently threatening to steal the ball and to turn the tides against him. But like the waters, there is nothing to fear. He just has to create a pathway for the ball to slide through by guiding it with his hands-

"Haruka-kun, that is the wrong goal."

 _Flomp!_

"…" Haruka remained silent and unabashed as he made a basket in his own goal.

"Haru, do you even know the rules of basketball?" Makoto sighed.

"…Basketball is difficult." Haruka announced his sudden epiphany.

"It's only because you messed up the rules! Jeez, you're just like a fish out of water outside of the pool."

"Even if you say that, you're hardly any better than me, Makoto."

"At least get the rules correct before you say that!"

"…ha…"

Cobalt eyes flashed in the direction of the basketball player, and the bickering duo exchanged a relieved look at how Tetsuya had turned away with a stoic expression that was clearly attempting to hide his laughter. Even if this venture had quite clearly been a waste of time, they had at least been able to cheer up their depressed friend, and that was enough.

"…let's regroup once more and try again, Haruka-kun." Tetsuya said evenly when he turned back. The faintest of smiles was evident in his glowing eyes, and it made Haruka slightly less adverse against trying. "I think that instead of scoring, Haruka-kun might be more suited to passing smoothly as a point guard. That would appeal more to you than rough housing, right?"

Passes…It sounds so much less troublesome than dribbling past violent players.

"Sure." He answered.

"Then, let's start by getting Makoto-kun over here and passing between the three of us."

 **Acquainted**

Inevitably perhaps, Tetsuya often sees a certain yellow ball of energy bouncing after Haruka and a large hulk of a teen trailing lazily after Makoto. The two, he learnt, were first-years rooming together over at the first floor where all other first-years occupied, and based on Haruka and Makoto's private discussions (with him, of course), neither of them were easy to deal with.

" _I like Murasakibara-kun, but even then, I must admit that I am lost over why he's so fond of me." Makoto scratched the back of his neck as he finalized another form requesting for a leave from the dorm._

" _Isn't he just after your sweets?" Haruka questioned as he, in turn, organized the list of ingredients that were required to be stock up for the next two weeks. Tetsuya wondered why Teiko dorm is pushing so much work onto their students when he remembered that it is the Teiko, who has winning as a policy and pride itself on successful alumni. Haruka continued as he scribbled another number in the long list. "Just stop pampering him and he'll stop."_

" _Even so, I like having my juniors' respect." Makoto admitted reluctantly._

" _Then, deal with it."_

" _Haru!" Makoto cried, exasperated. Tetsuya was feeling quite exasperated with him himself._

" _If Murasakibara-kun's childish tendency clicks with Makoto-kun's mothering habits, I don't see why it has to stop." He commented lightly, finishing his homework with a flourish._

" _Ah…But the thing is, it's starting to cause problems." Tetsuya blinked curiously. "Class 1-D's teachers have been coming up to tell me that Murasakibara-kun is not socializing at all. Not to mention, Nijimura is coming up with complaints regarding Murasakibara-kun's flighty behaviour during practice. We see him coming over to the swimming team too often."_

 _It was still a bit too early to be thinking about a first-string student skipping when he was trying his hardest to improve himself, but Tetsuya ignored the sting and focused on the point._

" _Have you tried talking to him about his behaviour?"_

" _I did! But Murasakibara-kun just said that he will try changing if he felt like it, and there's been no apparent change."_

" _Just ignore him and he'll go away."_

" _It's not that easy, Haru!" Makoto whimpered. Tetsuya found himself starting to pity his childhood friend for being ignored by their roommate. Turning his gaze towards Haruka, Tetsuya couldn't help but notice the troubled gleam in his eyes as he gazed down at the long line of numbers. He's also been unusually agitated for several days now._

" _Haruka-kun, is there something troubling you as well?" He asked._

 _Cobalt eyes flickered up for a second before narrowing._

" _Kise Ryota."_

"… _The boy who was lost on the first day we assembled in the dorms?" Tetsuya remembered standing beside Haruka and watching him make a spectacle of himself. He found quite entertaining that he was lost in the dorm, and that he had obviously developed an unhealthy level of admiration for Haruka._

" _Yes." Cobalt eyes flashed. Tetsuya wondered if he ought to fear for his peer. When Haruka remained silent, it became obvious that he did not want to talk about it – or acknowledge the presence of the problem for that matter._

"… _What did he do, Haru?" By now, Makoto had abandoned all work to help counsel his friend._

"… _stalking." Haruka breathed._

" _Huh?"_

" _The art club, the pool, the cafeteria…I see him everywhere." Haruka looked visibly haunted as he lifted his head to look at them. "He keeps bothering me with these meaningless competitions and attempting horribly to copy me in the things I do. It's troublesome."_

 _Even his favourite word contained so much more emotion than it usually does._

 _Makoto and Tetsuya watched, stunned speechless by how emotional Haruka was as he placed his head in his hand and continued ticking down the charts, apparently determined to ignore his new stalker and maintain his usual pace of life. Even so, it was evident it was not working._

Tetsuya hadn't wasted the opportunity to help his friends from the shadows.

He knew that Kise Ryota receives biscuits and snacks on a daily basis from the daring girls. He also knows about Murasakibara Atsushi's renowned sweet tooth for snacks. Most of all, he knew about how the two of these people are actually living together, and he knew that they were classmates.

That's why, during one of the duo's breaks, Tetsuya snuck in and stole a couple packets of snacks from Kise's table, emptying them into a biscuit tin.

Thereafter, he placed it on the table at Murasakibara's side of the room (It was easy to sneak in, given how he was living with the dorm president and vice-president who had the keys to all rooms of the dorm.) and wrote a note to him from Kise. Then, he snuck out, closing the doors behind him without leaving any other traces of his presence.

Days later, his hard work paid off in the form of a more energized Haruka and Makoto and a significantly less energetic yellow ball of energy.

"Kisechin, do you have any more snacks?"

"Hii-! How were you able to find me?!"

"Eh, but you were right there~"

Tetsuya grabbed his food and walked pass the duo towards Makoto's table.

It was all a day's work for the shadow.

 **Senior**

Haru despises the position of the dorm vice-president.

It wasn't so much that it was troublesome. For all the food, allergy, and nursing duties that comes along with it, Haruka actually did not mind them all that much. While having to adjust the menus to fit the allergies of the other residents is troublesome, it actually brings him some freedom to choose his own meals (mackerel, mackerel, and more mackerel). And while he is terrible at working in teams, having only to select the breakfast, lunch, and dinner teams and make sure they are up to do their shift does not require much participation.

Just…If there is one thing he loathes, it would be looking after other people.

Even way before this, it took all he had just to begin caring about winning and losing. Haruka knew his own emotional capacity is capped at a level much lower than others, perhaps due to the sheltered upbringing he has. That's why he had always left the caring and emotional side of the duty to Makoto, who was experienced due to his siblings, and even Tetsuya, whose communication skills topped his.

Nevertheless, when he took up this duty…he knew he would eventually have to face his weakness.

"Damn!" The echoing yell of Kise drew the attention of all within the pool.

Like most others, Haruka stopped to stare at the commotion. But unlike the others, Haruka knew this was long coming ever since the blonde first stepped into the swimming team, cheerily and ignorantly declaring to match up to him.

The water reflects all that it sees. If Kise never loved the water, it would only show.

Throwing his goggles into the water, the copycat master stomped out of the poolside to the changing room. Haru watched him warily, blinking curiously when Makoto walked up to their sighing captain and queried on the contents of their conversation. Tanaka only heaved a long and huge sigh unlike himself.

"I told him that his style will never work for this team." Tanaka admitted, sending a nod to the coach. "While stocking up on the techniques of the others would certainly be beneficial in other sports, in swimming where you only have a span of a couple of seconds to display them, they are next to nothing in face with someone who are a master of their own style. So, I told him to consider other sports instead."

Gold eyes noticed him and Tanaka nodded at him as he said his next words.

"Please look after that guy for the next few days. He's still young despite his potential, so he might do something reckless."

Haruka felt something drop in the pit of his stomach at the sudden burden placed on him and pursued his lips, diving back into the waters.

Tanaka wanted him to encourage the blonde, knowing that he was both the blonde's goal and someone who he respects. But…how can he do that when he could hardly even sympathize with Kise?

The next few days saw Kise flunking out in the several other courses that he signed up for because of Haru. Haruka frowned as he watched the blonde paint a desolate picture before leaving the art club, furrowed his brows when Kise outright skipped the breakfast duty he himself had signed up for, and downright scowled when the blonde was absent past curfew for the next few days without even informing the dorm of his whereabouts.

He was vaguely aware of Makoto's features gradually evolving into a pale white sheet in face with his anger, and Tetsuya's gradual disappearance from his sight (he went into hiding), but it was still hard to control his irritation.

"Kise Ryota."

The amusement of watching the colour drain from his face when said junior opened the door of the Kise household hardly placate him, though it was still pleasant.

"H-H-H-Harucchi!" Kise's voice went up a notch in pitch.

"Hah? Who's there, Ryota?" The blond girl's eyes went wide in face with the same charms that Kise had submitted to back in the dorm. But Haruka's attention was not on that at all. (In fact, as usual, he is still oblivious to anything other than the silent messages conveyed by Tetsuya and Makoto.)

"Let's have a match." Haruka announced as he grabbed the blonde's wrist, dragging him to the closest location he knew.

"W-Where-?!"

A kindergarten.

As Kise wondered what he was doing with his life, Haruka dragged him into the school and approached the kids playing at the playground under the watchful eye of the nursery teacher. As it turns out, the annual volunteer service they were having at Teiko Middle School was really giving them useful connections afterall.

"Hey. It's been a long time." Haruka was oblivious to the stars appearing in the young girls' eyes. "Would you help to judge me and that guy over there in an art competition?"

"H-Huh? Art?!" Kise was mindblown.

"Sure!" The kids beamed.

"The theme is cartoon characters. There's a five minutes limit. On the count of three…start."

They ended up with pictures that were as different as heaven and earth. As Kise stayed in awe over the realistic still form picture Haruka had drawn of Queen Elizabeth in the sand, the kids were gaping at the perfect character that Kise had drawn out of a manga that he used to read. Called Bleak, or something like that, the character was wielding a large sword with loosening bandages.

"Who did better?" Haruka asked, and unanimously, much to Kise's shock, the kids pointed at him. Before he could even process that, the hand was once more wrapped around his wrist and he found himself being pulled onto a bus. "Okay, next stop."

An arcade.

Before he could even process it, a ball was shoved into his hands and he was dragged over to the basketball game.

"The one who scores the higher number of baskets wins."

Honestly, with all the apathetic confidence that his sempai showed, it took no time at all before Kise utterly smashed him in the game. No…that was putting it nicely. As a matter of fact, how had Haruka not scored even a single basket?! Wasn't that a bit too pathetic, given how good his idol is in swimming?!

Cobalt eyes merely stared at him coolly and he uttered his next word.

"Next."

To some degree, Kise felt a bit of dread when he realized they were heading for the neighbourhood pool. With all other customers leaving at this point of time, it was just them, and some couples who were coming just for a late night dip or something. Even so, to be handed a pair of goggles and be expected to stand next to his idol on the platform and dive down into the waters…

"I-I can't win." Kise muttered.

"Who cares?" Haruka merely shrugged in response. "Just be yourself and be free. Let's go."

With the second hand touching 'twelve' on the clock, they dived down and swam. At the turning point, already, Haruka could see signs of hesitation in the slowing blonde. But perhaps it was his words, perhaps all the things they had done today had helped, but whatever it was, something helped push the blonde to the ending line even long after Haru reached up and tore his own goggles from his head.

Heavy pants sounded from the both of them. Haruka watched his junior hesitantly lift his eyes and bow his head in defeat.

"I lose, Harucchi."

"I lose, you mean." Haruka corrected.

"Huh?"

"I lost in terms of the drawing match. I also lost in basketball. So overall, I lost the match we're having today. It's my defeat." Haruka pushed himself out of the pool and sat by the poolside, enjoying how the waters attempted to push his feet out. There was an urge to let go and drift along in this pool, but he feared that it would make him seem less serious to the slightly stupid junior.

"Eh? ….Could you explain, Harucchi?" As expected, Kise looks totally lost.

Haruka heaved a light sigh at that, wishing once more that Kise had chosen someone else to admire. On Kise's side of things, he was just trying to piece together the things they had done together to form a likely message his idol was trying to communicate.

"I'm not sociable." Eh? "I'm not good at talking. In terms of non-realistic art, I'm not all that good either. I'm terrible at basketball. All I can swim is free and relays." Haruka caught his eyes and pronounced the next words carefully. "I'm a perfectly normal and flawed person, Kise."

He sighed as he leaned down towards the water, watching ripples form from the droplets dripping down his hair.

"I'm not sure where you got the misconception that I'm perfect, but I'm not. All I can do is swim, and maybe draw a couple of good drawings now and then. So…You don't have to follow me in everything I do."

"…I don't understand." Haruka furrowed his brows when his message bounced off the blonde's head. Was that denial he's seeing there, or was it a figment of his imagination? "If you want me to create my own style of swimming, you should just say it. I know I shouldn't copy your style to defeat you since it's disrespectful, but-"

Haruka willed himself to inhale deeply as a voice that sounded like Makoto reminded him to be patient.

"You suck because you don't even like swimming."

Ah, that came out slightly less nicely than he wanted imaged it to be when Makoto said it. He regretted it when he saw Kise flinch, but willed himself to continue, spitting out things he had always found difficult to put into words.

"The water is alive. It reflects everything it sees, even the emotions that you are feeling, Kise. If you choose to continue, neither Tanaka nor I will stop you, but you must remain honest to yourself even as you take in new techniques and styles – Are you having fun doing this?"

The shell shocked eyes of his junior made him heave a frustrated sigh.

Haruka couldn't stand doing this, not anymore. As he thought, he should have taken up such a heavy duty afterall.

"Think about it and come back to the dorm when you're done. I'll put in a leave of absence for you till then."

Days later, when he was getting ready to close the gates with Nijimura, the return of a certain blonde with a determined and bright smile would quell the worries he had been having about him. Standing at his full height, Kise Ryota would bow from waist up and apologize sincerely, loudly (much to Haruka's irritation) for the trouble he caused, and as he stood back up, shoot appreciative looks in Haruka's direction.

Haru would squirm in discomfort under the new glint in the gaze of his junior, while Nijimura would snort and Makoto would chuckle.

Within the next two months, just before Kise got termed as the permanent club drifter, he would find his passion lying in basketball due to a certain Aominecchi.

All things go well.

 **Pleasant**

Things had seemed too good to be true.

His roommates were happier than ever and getting used to their duties while still defending their positions as the aces of the swimming team.

Tetsuya had found a new friend in the first-string member who frequented his gymnasium and trained with him.

And Ogiwara had been managing to improve himself, climbing into the regular's spot.

Tetsuya had thought that things would be improving, that this was the time for him.

Until his coach advised him to drop basketball and quit the team.

 **Author's Notes:** Only one additional fav, follow, and a review. Is it my fault? I thought the story is okay…But did I write something wrong to make you guys hate doing the above things in my story? 70+ people reading and so few feedback…I'm still continuing the story of course, but if I'm editing any of this, and I feel sorry for AnimeHIME-chin, but I'll be posting it on AO3. I just don't understand why, and it sucks to be talking to thin air.


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